Afternoon Tea

 

On Easter Monday, I went for Afternoon tea with my family. We got to share one of these cake stands between two of us, and they were yummy! I was the only one who didn't have tea (I'm not a fan) so I had hot chocolate instead...with cream and marshmallows. The little cakes were so cute, but look at the size of the strawberry in comparison to the rest of them! It was enormous!

 

It was also nice to take time out of my busy revision schedule to spend that time with my family. Admittedly, most of the conversation revolved around the cake, but it is always nice to spend time with the people you are closest to. And bank holidays are definitely the time for that.

 

With another bank holiday coming up (for Britain, at least) what are you planning to do?



Two Jumpers North

We spent the Easter Weekend in North Yorkshire, with some old family friends. It was gorgeous.

 

It involved:

 

Harry Potter References!

Pretty Villages!

 



A baby Pineapple!

 

Making cake!

 

Seeing one of my felt hearts 'en situe'!

Knitting (products to be accounted for later)!

And the prettiest, cosiest house I ever did see!

I wish I could crochet blankets.

 

Alas, I did not steal a blanket, but I did get some very nice fudge and a pretty tweed notebook - plain pages too! I loved it up there. Although chilly,and hilly, it has the charm and intrigue of somewhere new to explore....

 



3

A cake (or in this case, cakes)

 

 

This is my go-to cake recipe, with memories of my childhood - 'Usbourne's book of 30 Christmas Bakes'. Luckily, the recipes are easy, simple and transferable throughout the year. I've made a few tweaks, mainly to the icing, but they're still delicious.

 

100g Self Raising Flour

100g Softened Butter

100g Caster Sugar

2 Eggs

 

For the Icing:

225g Icing sugar

115g Softened Butter

1tsp Vanilla extract

A few drops of Milk, to slacken

Chocolate sprinkles to decorate.

 

1) Sift flour into a bowl, and stir in the caster sugar, eggs and butter with a wooden spoon.

2) Fill cake cases evenly - I usually get about 12 cakes from the mixture.

3) Bake for 20 minutes at 190 degrees Celsius, gas mark 5.

4) Combine the icing sugar and butter until smooth. Add a few drops of milk to loosen if necessary. 5) Stir in the vanilla Extract.

6) Once taken out of the oven, allow the cakes to cool. Then, use your preferred method for icing (I find a sandwich bag with a corner snipped off does quite well)

7) Decorate as you wish - I used chocolate sprinkles here.

 

I love this recipe, it's so easy. ideal for when you have little time, or are feeling a little bit under the weather.

 

50 Things to Make



Recipe: Choclate Cake

This is an alteration of a cake by St. Delia. Not for the faint- hearted.

Cake

110g Self Raising Flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

110g soft butter

110g caster sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon Vanilla essence

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

50g melted dark chocolate

Chocolate Butter cream

100g melted dark chocolate

100g softened butter

120g icing sugar

80g caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

White Chocolate Chunks to decorate

Grease and line 2 18cm tins. Turn on the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

In a large bowl, mix all of the cake ingredients together until everything is combined. I suggest using an electric whisk.

Divide into 2 and spread equally between each tin. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. When time, takeout of the oven, remove frostiness and place on a wire rack to cool.

 

 

For the butter cream, use the electric whisk again to combine all ingredients together.

 

 

Spread butter cream equally, first for between the sponges, and then for the topping. Onto both,sprinkle a generous handful of white chocolate chunks.

Tada!

Yummy!

Oh, the knitted-ness is not my work - our local church gave it to us!